Always an update coming! Now how do I get rid of these scaaaaaams.

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Cartman wasn't sure if he was passing a line keeping this up. He just meant to bring Lilah for ice cream the following weekend while he had the day off for once, not for him to run into Heidi and her daughter and end up on some rendezvous. Adam typically had soccer practice Saturday mornings, so Heidi always made the time to spend with Ella. Now sitting on a bench watching their two girls draw with chalk on the public sidewalk, Heidi awkwardly shifted for the millionth time sharing a seat with her ex.

Lilah meanwhile was completely enchanted by the little girl showing her what drawings she was making next. She always had a soft spot for younger kids, especially a girl with Ella's enthusiasm. With both kids distracted, Cartman took a small bite out of the cone his daughter passed to him. Preventing the thing from melting all over his hand.

"How's she liking the town?"

Now that he actually had a better read on his daughter, Cartman could answer confidently. "Better than I thought."

Heidi nodded. "And your job..?"

"Good."

"Do you..enjoy fixing cars?"

Cartman wanted to seethe at her awkwardness. "Do you enjoy making small talk?"

Well, he was always able to see right through her. Heidi supposed that never changed. "Sorry. I guess I just don't know how to have a regular conversation with you."

He could get that, he propped a foot over his knee in response. "So, let's not."

Heidi looked up. Of all the bullshit faces and lies he's made over the years, she knew his honest face because of it.

"You seem different."

Cartman took a bite of his daughter's ice cream when she wasn't looking. "Seem?"

She tunelled her vision on the girls, trying to get answers. "Do you want us to leave you alone..?"

A while ago he would be just fine with that. But now Lilah was attached to these people whether Cartman liked it or not, and he'd be the asshole for trying to sabotage it.

When he didn't answer, Heidi began to word-vomit. "I adore Lilah, and I know the kids do too. But for everyone's sake just tell me now if there's another edge."

"There's no edge, Hides."

She stiffened, not loving him using her nickname. It seemed to just slip as everyone they knew had been calling Heidi that since high school. Including Cartman back then.

"Sorry."

"You know this is hard on Kyle."

Cartman kept from scoffing. As if he owed him anything in this. "I can't control who my kid likes. I can't even control if I get to keep her."

"Do you want to keep her?"

He looked up at such a blatant ask. What the hell was she on to be as forward as her husband? All Cartman agreed to today was brining his daughter for ice cream.

"I just don't know if its a good idea."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Cartman's eyelids slummed as he looked highly annoyed. It was honestly scarring to Heidi who remembered the same look from their toxic relationship.

"I'm just trynna sort this shit out without everyone's input, thanks."

Heidi put aside her daughter's melting cup. "Eric, I know it's weird. But if you guys need help, I don't want Lilah to suffer at the expense of your past."

Cartman got up, going to fetch Lilah as he had enough. "Good thing it's not your problem, then."

Before he could gather his kid, Heidi shot up. "Eric."

He turned with one last annoyed look.

"I'm serious about keeping the peace."

His shriveled brow softened. "Same."

Holding her six-year-old's hand, Heidi saw her husband pulling down the street no later than when he said he'd be home. Having just got back from errands themselves, Heidi wasn't sure how she'd explain the ice cream escapade she found herself on with her daughter and big ex.

As the car pulled up into the driveway, she could feel her daughter buzzing in their handhold. Ready to explode with all her little stories spent with Lilah.

"Ella, let me tell your dad-"

"Daddy! We got ice cream with Lilah and Mr. Cartman!"

Barely a foot out of the car, Kyle held a bag of groceries when his daughter came and he captured her with his free arm. Looking across the lawn at his tense wife with a disturbed look of his own.

"That's great, bug." He lowered his daughter back to her feet. "Head inside, okay?"

The girl scampered, and his wife approached him already trying to over explain herself.

"I didn't text you in case it freaked you out-"

"Who's freaking out?" Kyle scoffed. Her lack of eye-contact made him worried. "I just...want you to be careful."

It wasn't like every instinct of nature was already telling her that. Maybe if it weren't for Lilah's sake, Heidi wouldn't have gotten involved.

"Fair," his wife agreed. "But, I'm a big girl."

"I never said you weren't."

"So if red flags arise, I'll back out."

While Kyle knew she knew red flags, she did have a history of turning a blind eye. "Same then."

"..Is it something we need to talk about?" Heidi cautioned. "I haven't been able to get a read on you in any of this."

Kyle still stood there with a full bag, wishing they'd gone into the house before he was reeled into this. "What're you talking about?"

"You say one thing, but.."

Well, she was the one who never wanted him to treat her with kid gloves. It drove her crazy.

"You know what I'm thinking, Hides. If he has old ways that affect you the way it used to."

She wasn't sure what her husband was implying. The only way Cartman would do so is if there was a relationship to speak of. Which Heidi had long outgrown.

"It's not like we're dating, Kyle."

While true, the cold remark she left him with made Kyle chill as she disappeared into the house.

"This won't take longer than it has to."

"Hasn't it?" Cartman argued over the phone with the CPS agent. "You've had me on for twenty minutes and you're cutting into my kid's phone time with her mom that YOU said was court mandated."

"We could alleviate this conversation if you come to an agreement with us quicker."

The man laid back in his barcalounger, stared down by his daughter at his feet waiting for her turn on the phone.

"I don't like the idea, man." Cartman groaned, rubbing dried crust from his eye after back-to-back shifts. God would a drink help.

"Mr. Cartman, you're forgetting that there's some things you have yet to earn the right of deciding while you only still have temporary custody."

They seemed to love reminding him that. And while Cartman couldn't tell if Lilah truly wanted to stay here, he knew a foster home was far from her radar.

"I'm on your side, Mr. Cartman. I want to make this work for you and your daughter."

Lilah tapped her wrist rappidly as if motioning to a fake watch. Indicating that time was short and her mother would not wait for her call as Cartman waved her off.

"Does it have to be him?"

"He's accessible due to the school and he's very well practiced. It's a good fit."

Cartman flapped his lips silently as to mock her going won about Kyle. He didn't need a reminder on how oh-so good he was in his field compared to an asshat like Mackey was.

"So do we have a deal?"

"Fine.." Cartman pointed in warning. "But don't try and make him think it was my idea. He'll hold that against me."

"I believe Mr. Broflovski is more professional than that. Have a good day."

Oh, these people barely knew the half of it as Cartman snarled and hung up.

"Finally! Gimme, please!" Lilah tried reaching for the phone while Cartman held her back by the middle with his big foot.

"Hold on..we gotta talk."

"We don't talk..?"

"Yeah, joy.." Cartman leaned out of his chair. "You're gonna start doing counseling sessions with Adam's dad twice a week. Wasn't my idea. I don't wanna hear shit about it."

Lilah crinkled her nose. Counseling with Mr. Broflovski? The same guy her dad resented and lost his woman to? What in the Maury Povich were these people on?

"Fine." Lilah saw no logic to argue.

Her dad's brows flew up, finding that easier than expected. "Great."

"Can I trick or treat with the Brofvloskis and Donovans?"

"Uh, sure.." Cartman didn't pay much attention now, dialing his ex-wife's number for Lilah. "Do you have a costume..?"

"Not yet. I'll think of something, I'm good at costumes."

Cartman handed her the phone. "Take a pillowcase, you get more candy that way."

Kyle dealt enough with PC's asks on a daily basis, but this one may have taken the cake. Sitting at his desk with his cheek in his hand in exhaust, he stared at his boss in disbelief. Knowing perfectly well PC was aware of Kyle's history to understand why this wouldn't work.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"CPS and the parent requested it."

Kyle shot a look from his desktop. "Cartman wants his daughter to see me regularly? For sessions with me?"

PC gave a look back. "Maybe this is a good sign for her."

"Or maybe he's using a little girl for his own agenda.."

Kyle ignored his boss' glare as he looked through his agenda of sessions, adding Lilah to the list. There was a reason he didn't take any of his friend's kids to prevent personal and professional lines from crossing. But, he barely knew the girl. She only came once to his house after all. If she was anything like her father beneath the surface though, these sessions were gonna take a lot of unpacking.

"Think of it this way, if Cartman is still who you think he is, you'll be the one saving that kid."

"What d'you mean?"

PC left to go fetch the waiting student. "You're mandated to call CPS if you notice anything off as councellor. Read a law, bro."

Kyle blinked as PC went, having not considered that possibility at all. Not that he planned to. It couldn't be dwelled on when Lilah entered the office, looking very unwilling to be there and the counsellor couldn't blame her.

"Morning, Lilah." Kyle tried with a smile. "How're you?"

"Good, how're you..?"

Wherever she learned those good manners, Kyle would never know. "I'm good, thank you. I know this must've come up very suddenly. Did you have a talk with Ms. Barclay?"

Lilah nodded. The CPS agent had been in her life for a few months now. While a nice person, every time she spoke the Lilah it always seemed like a forced happiness.

"And your dad?"

Lilah's heart crippled in embarrassment. When she first found out about her dad's past with Adam's parents, she was so caught up in the hilarity she failed to notice how awkward she may have made things.

"Yes."

"How're you liking the school?"

"It's nice.."

The adult tried a little harder. "Do you want to share more? I'll listen."

Lilah tried for manners' sake. "It's better than my old school, but I wasn't used to that. Kids are still mean though."

His thought of the fight came to mind, and he had to press on in case it was bothering her. "I'm sorry, Lilah. That shouldn't be the case."

She nodded, fearfully hoping he didn't think she meant Adam.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Not really.."

Kyle had no choice but to move on. She may have been polite, but that Cartman stubbornness went a long way.

"And how's it going at home?"

"Nice."

The counsellor's stare of encouragement told her she was mandated to continue.

"It's quiet."

Kyle's eyes tinged with worry, hoping that was not meant badly.

"I like quiet." She added.

"Do you and your dad spend lots of time together?"

"When we can. He has work a lot."

"Do you like spending time with him?"

She firmly considered it, before nodding more than assuredly.

Kyle cleared his throat. "Do you miss Denver?"

When she didn't answer, Kyle almost thought she didn't hear him as she gradually had been playing with her fingers throughout the session. While shy from the beginning, the last time he saw her she was practically giddy in his own home. Playful and luny like her father at her age.

"Lilah?"

"Mr. Broflovski," She worriedly picked at her fingers, her voice hushed in fear. "I didn't mean to make things awkward for you and Ms. Turner."

He didn't expect that as his lips parted but shut immediately. Remaining calm as to not derail the girl.

"I just wanted to know my dad's story."

While he could tell she was genuine, the sorry face she made looked too much like Cartman's. A face he would make all the time at her age when he was definitely the furthest from sorry and had probably never been.

He sighed just a bit, worrying the girl.

"I believe you, Lilah."

Halloween was only days away, and Adam still had lots of preparation to do. Him and Liam took strategizing their trick or treat route very seriously. And yet their two younger siblings managed to derail them every time. They would not be distracted this year when showing Lilah the usual pitstops.

He wasn't the only one making preparations though, as his father talked his ear off about the usual precautions he'd been following every year. The boy laid flat on his bed as Kyle babbled.

"And we'll have our phones on the whole time."

"Uh-huh."

"Do not let your sister out of your sight."

Adam looked offended. "Why not tell her to stop bolting every chance she gets?"

That was an issue they were working on, and Kyle knew he couldn't hold it against his eldest. "Okay, okay you're right."

Adam nodded smugly, always feeling like he got a gold star for getting his dad to say he was right. It was like seeing a blue moon.

Kyle looked at the bedside clock. "It's late, come on."

His son proceeded to get cozy under the covers. "Lilah can trick or treat with us, right?"

"Yes, just no seperating from the group."

"Who would do that?"

Kyle could name a few as he tucked his son in. His eyes rolled briefly at the memory of Cartman convincing them to ditch poor Kenny that one year.

"I saw that." Adam accused.

"Saw what?" Kyle played dumb.

Adam laid his arms behind his head. "I don't understand why you could hate him so much."

Oh, the kid was asking for a list Kyle could never finish. Was it the racism? Misogyny? Straight up antisemitism? The hypocrisy? Not to forget crime and violence? Manipulation? All things EVIL?

Yet Kyle wouldn't share that ever with his kid as he surpressed a sigh. Someone had to be the better person.

"Is that why he doesn't talk to any of you?"

Kyle hated that Stan was right, the little smartasses were gonna find out eventually.

"Adam, he and I had issues for a long time. And so did your mother before we were together."

That didn't entirely answer his question. "So, do you have issues now?"

"No, no we don't." Kyle insisted. But he knew that they didn't have good amends either. "Go to bed."

"Sheesh, fine."

His dad turned off his overhead, glad to have diverted the subject as quickly as possible. As he pulled the door behind him, he stopped to watch Adam give another look to his ceiling decorated with his glowing fake stars proudly decorated by him and Heidi before rolling onto his side.

Kyle came to his son's bedside, unable to push the feeling off that he feels more and more disconnected from Adam nowadays. And when he did want to talk to him, about a history Kyle wished to forget, his dad could only dodge his questions like a coward.

Adam's eyes opened at his dad's hand scratching his hair to look up at Kyle at his bedside. Staring back at eyes so similar as Heidi's that always weakened Kyle.

"I love you, bug."

His son knew Kyle had been tense, he could always see right through him. It was a moment to cut him a little slack. "Me too, dad.."

To be continued...